Influence Sphere Overview
The Influence Spheres are Academics, Bureaucracy, Counterculture, Crime, Health, High Society, Industry, Intelligence, Legal, Media, Occult, Police, Politics, and Transport. Influence Spheres that we have decided not to include are Church, Finance, Entertainment, Street, and Military. The reason for this is because dots in these Influences have limited use in the scope of the game (i.e. Entertainment or Church are not as useful as Police or Health). If your character has a job in one of these fields, you can take Skills and appropriate Merits (Professional Training, Staff, Resources, Fame, etc.) to represent it. 'Academics' The sphere for education and research. The leading institutions are the Free University of Berlin and the Max Planck Institute. Gymnasiums are elite prep schools that offer a traditional curriculum. In Germany you will also find the Realschule and Hauptschule, schools that offer a more varied curriculum. 'Bureaucracy' Germans love bureaucracy. The Buergeramt (Citizen’s Office) is a one-stop-shop for all your licensing needs. Public utilities are provided by the Grundversorger, Gasag for gas and Vattenfall for electricity. Most Germans get their health insurance through work. Social security is available for pensioners, child care, invalidity and unemployment. 'Counterculture' The student movement of ’68 left lasting effects across the city. This sphere consists of the various subcultures and nightlife—hippies, anarchists, punk, post-punk, new wave. These groups all share a love for freedom and a common rejection of authority. 'Espionage' The spies fight an invisible war in West Berlin. This sphere includes influence in the agencies of the Western allies; the CIA, MI6, SDECE (French) and BND (West German). Their main rivals are the security services of the Eastern bloc; the KGB and the Stasi. 'Health' Rudolf Virchow, “the father of modern pathology”, founded the eponymous hospital in Wedding. Modern institutions like the Benjamin Franklin teaching hospital continue in the area of pioneering medical research. More than a few pharmaceutical giants (Bayer, Schering, Merz) have established operations in Berlin. 'High Society' Berlin is a city of ruins and urban decay; old nobility living in crumbling mansions, Hollywood celebrities on week-long benders, the spoiled rich kids of diplomats partying like nobody’s watching. Promoters and artists gather in clubs like the Paris Bar or Dschungel. Old money that survived the Nazi purge keep to themselves, sequestered in their villas south-west of the city. 'Industry' Labour movements and trade unions hold some sway over the politics of the city. The industrial area is concentrated around Spandau and Siemensstadt. The waterways are used for transport. Various types of light and heavy manufacturing take place in Berlin. 'Legal' The city court in Berlin is called the Landsgericht. It is divided into civil and criminal; with the civil court situated at Tegeler Weg in Charlottenburg and the criminal court at Turmstrasse in Moabit. In Germany, the court system is inquisitive rather than adversarial; the judge actively questions the witnesses and leads in the examination of the case. Prospective lawyers must pass state exams before choosing to be an attorney or enter the judiciary. 'Media' The Allies helped to re-establish a German free press after the war. In Berlin is the oldest self-contained broadcasting house in the world, Haus des Rundfunks. Radio broadcasting consists of programs like Sender Freies Berlin (Radio Free Berlin), RIAS (Radio in the American Sector), and programs broadcasted from West Germany. Colour TV is just seeing widespread adoption. The channels are limited to Das Erste (The First), ZDF (Second German Television), and Nord 3 (A third network that SFB shares with other broadcasters). 'Occult' Secret societies peaked in Germany during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Illuminati, the Oculists, the Rosicrucians, Ordo Templi Orientis, Thule Society, Vril Society, and et cetera, all originated in Germany. Too much of German history has been lost during the war. Archeologists are busy recovering artefacts and tracking down stolen relics. They unearth new things every day, but some secrets are best lay buried. 'Police' The city’s own police force is known as Der Polizeipraesident in Berlin or simply Berliner Polizei. It is staffed by 20,000 employees in 12 boroughs, with one or two precincts. The Schutzpolizei are equivalent to ‘beat cops’, in charge of patrol and traffic control. Other divisions include the State Criminal Police Office (Landeskriminalamt or LKA), Criminal Investigations Department (Kriminalpolizei or Kripo), river patrol, traffic police, K9, and the Central Service Unit (ZSE) for administrative support. 'Politics' The Senate of Berlin is the executive governing body, with 8 members, lead by the Governing Mayor of Berlin. The legislative branch consists of the Abgeordnetenhaus, or House of Representatives. It has 160 seats elected by the citizenry. The Leftist coalition, lead by the Social Democratic Party (SPD) has a slim margin over the Opposition, lead by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). The parliament chooses the Mayor and passes legislation. Due to the unique political state of the city, West Berliners could not vote or participate in federal legislation. The Allied Control Council has veto power over all of the parliament’s decisions, including its political appointments. 'Transport' Transport is the lifeblood of this walled-in city. The city has three air corridors—Tempelhof, Tegel, and Gatow—for both military and civilian transport. The River Spree and Havel is used for the shipping of goods and industrial materials. Residents can travel within the city by the U-bahn and a network of bus services. By road, only ‘one’ checkpoint leads out of the city, Checkpoint Bravo, in Nikolassee, leading to a limited number of transit routes for travel to West Germany. Interzonal trains enter or leave the city via the station at Berlin-Wannsee, and make a stop at Bahnhof Zoo in Charlottenburg. 'Underworld' Heroin in West Berlin is as ubiquitous as candy. The drug is smuggled by the Turks from Afghanistan into Berlin. The Lebanese, Italians, and Africans are also ethnic minorities with a foothold in the underworld. New drugs like MDMA and ecstasy are popping up on the market. Neo-Nazi activity is on the rise.